St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-07-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, D. c. May end, 1887.
The beautiful Capital of the United
States is beginning to bloom now and
in one week more it will be in all its
glory of vernal attire. 1t is we'll tina,
it does, for q good representation OF
the Nation, will be here during the
next few weeks, and the city wants
to look its loveliest. The streets are
being swept, the lawns trimmed, the
fountains sparkle in the sunshine, and
the parterIes begin to blaze with ma
lures brightest hnes.
Washington will be nothing if not
lively during the month of May. The
Grand Encampment of the Salvation
Army opened the din on the 1st. Then
Patti took up the strain with admission
fee to the Grand Stand ranging from
ten dollars upward. Almost simultane-
Ously the flyers of the Jockey Club and
Forepaughs Circus will make no end
to home runs at the race track and ath-
letic park respectively, and about the
time these rackets weary an entertain
ment will be in order, which, fortunate
" for pockets, is free to all.
This will be the dedication of the
Garfield statue by the Army of the
Cumberland, with procession, music,
and an Grafton by the late Speaker
keifer, who by special permission of
the High Custodian of political corpses,
has been resussitated for this occasion
only, for period not to exceed twenty
minutes. Then there will be side shows
in abundance, League championship
games, conventions, reunions, IA visit
from the Queen of the Sandwich Is
lands and from q hundred or two thou
sand American sovereigns, and then
will come the browning event of the
season, the long expected National
Drill, lasting for more than week and
eliminating in a grand final pageant
on Decoration day.
The work of fencing in the Drill
field is going on and every thing will be
in readiness in due time. The enclos-
IRE, 1850 feet in diameter, and the
grand stand will be so arranged as to
enable spectators to see the entire field
and all of the performances. For the
camp, $50 tents have been engaged and
some of the visiting companies will
bring their own tents. At one extremi-
ty of the Drill ground panorama of
the famous battle between the Merri-
mack & Monitor i'll Hampton Roads will
be erected, which will be very realis-
tic exhibition of this encounter 1t
will be in full view of the grand stand,
and will form one of the attractions
each night.
General Augur has been appointed to
the command OF the National Drill
camp. He is fine, soldierly looking
officer, who lives quietly with his fami- |
ly in Georgetown. 1t was expected |
that man of national reputation !!
would be appointed to this position, for
the reason that it is national affair,
crowds of American citizens are COM
ing from all parts Of the country, and it |
was supposed that all the arrangements
would be as national as possible in
character. Still it was no easy matter
20 find just such commandment who
had sufficient leisure to give the matter
the necessary attention at this time.
Gen. Anger, being on the retired list,
can devote himself exclusively to his
duties, and it is thought, will prove
satisfactory in other ways. He was
very much gratified by the honor CON
tered upon him. At present it seems as
if all that will be necessary to make the
event successful in every particular is
that those who furnish the weather for
Ms will suppress everything akin to the
beastly article that was inflicted here at
the same time last year.
The Garfield statue which is to be
unveiled with imposing ceremonies
cost $65,00O, Of which $4,000 was ap-
propriated by Congress for the pedes-
tai, and the other S35,OO0 was raised by
bis comrades of the Society of the
Army of the Cumberland. 1t stands in
} circle at the foot of Capitol Hill,
southwesterly from the Capitol, and is
} pedestrian figure of heroic size. It
represents Garfield in graceful atti-
Jude, with one hand holding a manu-
script, as if he were addressing the peo-
,le, and the other resting ON a book
by column, while his top
'oat is thrown back, giving the figure a
ifelike appearance. The figure is of j
curse concealed from public view by l
winding sheet of black cambria, but I
t was undraped for few minutes to i
hot ra1IaL j | q